The Mercedes Benz E 350 wagon on display at the New York International Auto Show March 31, 2010 in New York.

PHOTO: Stan Honda, AFP/Getty Images

By Brian Harper, Postmedia News

Originally published: October 22, 2010

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

Once again, I find myself pondering the popularity of crossovers in the face of the clearly superior station wagon. The ammunition for my latest internalized conflict is courtesy of a totally delightful experience with Mercedes’ newest member of the E-Class family– the E350 4Matic Wagon.

I have nothing against crossovers. They are more palatable substitutes for the traditional sport-utes and minivans that used to dominate the streets, school parking slots and mall spaces in my little slice of suburbia. They take up less space and are more fuel efficient than SUVs, and they are more stylish and less depressing than the slab-sided minivan that preceded them. But they still feel bulky and oversized in comparison with the modern wagon, which itself is a full generation removed from the block-long land yachts that populated the driveways of friends and family during my youth.

Maybe I’m just spoiled. The V6-powered Mercedes E-Class in all of its forms — sedan, coupe and wagon — provides such a serene, stress-reducing ride that it’s almost impossible to provide a rational critique. Admittedly, a price tag of $66,900 and the commensurate luxury and amenities expected of a Mercedes go a long way in clouding judgment — not all wagons will deliver the same experience. Heck, not a lot of vehicles of any stripe will deliver the same experience.

Putting aside the wagon body style for the moment, all versions of the E350 are exceedingly proficient. They tend to be a little lethargic off the line — composed as they accelerate unless you drop the seven-speed manumatic into manual mode and start playing with the paddle shifters. Then, the 3.5-litre V6’s 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque come into play. When put to the test, the wagon takes 7.1 seconds to pick off 100 kilometres an hour — respectable for a 1,915-kilogram all-wheel-drive seven-seat family hauler.

But such shenanigans are not the E350 Wagon’s forte. It is far more in keeping with the car’s demeanor to allow the silky smooth engine and 7G-Tronic autobox to work in harmony. Also worthy of praise is the DirectControl suspension, which features a standard adaptive damping system and self-levelling rear suspension. The latter ensures the wagon always remains at the same level, even when fully loaded. The suspension setup has also been modified, with slightly stiffer shock absorber settings and torsion bar stabilizers. This, according to Mercedes, makes the E-Class Wagon just as agile as the sedan, without any penalty in road noise or tire vibration. The end result — combining the powertrain, the positive feedback from the well-weighted steering and the ride and handling dynamics — is a car that glides effortlessly through traffic, rather than muscling its way through it like you would in a sport-brute. That said, the Mercedes does not have the same joie de vivre when the road turns twisty as Cadillac’s CTS Sport Wagon.

The gliding analogy is equally appropriate in describing the wagon’s looks. It is long and elegant — in comparison with the chunkier M-Class sportute and the hearse-like R-Class crossover — its character lines based on the larger S-Class and accented for the Canadian market by the addition of the standard AMG Styling Package.

The Wagon’s cabin is a blend of comfort and luxury, functionality and hedonism, this last typified by the inclusion of the $900 Drive-Dynamic multi-contour driver’s seat with massage function. If all cars were equipped with this seat, there would be no stress during traffic congestion and road rage would be non-existent. The power side bolsters that move to keep you in place during turns or high-speed cornering seem freaky at first, but they soon become reassuring — like the wagon is giving you a hug.

Naturally, being a Mercedes, the E350 is chock full of backups to keep its occupants safe from harm, including drowsiness detection for the driver and automatic emergency braking when a collision is recognized as imminent. Together with the standard 4Matic drivetrain and its attendant stability systems, the E350 exudes a well-warranted aura of assurance when the weather turns nasty.

As a family vehicle, the Wagon easily accommodates a quartet of six-footers; five if they’re friendly. Hidden in the cargo floor in the back area are two rear-facing seats meant for children up to 50 kg in weight and less than 140 centimetres tall. Since nobody in my family fits that description, they stayed hidden.

For cargo duties, the rear 67/33-split seat backrests are easily folded down by pulling a cable from the back compartment, leaving a level floor surface and 68.8 cubic feet of capacity. A power tailgate that can be activated by the keyfob makes things easier when one’s arms are full of groceries. A combined luggage compartment cover and an easy-to-use retaining net are standard.

Mercedes launched its first wagon in 1977, selling more than a million units over the years and through four generations to people with an inherent streak of practicality in them. The fifth-generation 2011 E350 4Matic Wagon will continue this role, adding improved standards for amenities, safety and efficiency. As a luxury vehicle, it probably won’t make much of a dent in the sales of like-priced crossovers and SUVs, but it won’t be from lack of trying.